Process for severing of connected tampons



Dec. 5, 1950 H. c. A. BEHR PROCESS FOR SEVERING 0F CONNECTED TAMPONS Filed April 15. 1947 Patented Dec. 5, 950

PROCESS FOR SEVERING F CONNECTED TAMPONS Harry G. A. Behr, Delhi, N. Y., assignor to Sanitary Tampon Corporation, Chambersburg, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 15, 1947, Serial No. 741,590

4 Claims. (01. 154-125) to provide each severed tampon with a relatively long withdrawal string and a relatively short section.

In the .production of tampons by various processes some of which involve continuous stitching of a series of spaced portions of cotton by a cord member so as to provide a continuous cord connecting a series of spaced cotton wads and other processes which involve the simultaneous fabrication of the cotton and the string, the product comprises a series of wads which were connected by a cord conventionally of cotton. In this connection attention is directed in particular to'U. S. Patent 2,401,284 granted May 28, 1946, to Courtney P. Winter and Dunbar A. Rosenthal, which discloses a process for the production of tampon structures by a braiding operation which provides bunches of cotton forming a cotton wad connected by a series of string or cord members. In the severance of a structure of this type, it has been found extremely difficult to sever and separate tampons so that the cord is severed adjacent a preceding wad to thereby produce the longest possible withdrawal string attached to each succeeding wad of cotton. The connected tampon structures, as may be understood, are relatively loose prior to their compression and portions of cotton tend to become entangled and incorporated with the string proper. Any timing deficiency of a conventional knife structure therefore results in the severance of the loose cotton or the severance of the string between the cotton bunches to provide an abnormally short withdrawal cord.

In addition to the foregoing the provision of a conventional cotton string has been found undesirable inasmuch as such a cotton string is highly capillary and wettable under conditions 'of use and such wetting and swelling of the string has been found undesirable.

It is one of the objects of the present invention therefore to provide a novel tampon structure and/or series of tampon structures connected by 'a-sultable plastic cord capable of readill ily fusing and severance by a heated severing member.

Asecond object of the present invention is to provide a novel process for the severance of individual tampons from a continuous string of such tampon structures united by a cord.

A third object of the present invention is to provide a novel process for the severance of tampon'structures united by a heat fusible cord involving a heated member heated to such a temperature that the cord will be fused and severed thereby and the cotton intermediate the cord substantially unaffected.

A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a novel tampon including a withdrawal cord of a non-hydroscopic, moisture impenetrable plastic nature.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide for'the perfect timing of severance of individual tampon structures from a continuous string of such structures united by a suitable cord.

Other objects and the nature and advantages of the instant invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of one form of the apparatus according to the present invention. 5

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l with the tampons in a different position.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 2 with the tampons in a third position.

Figure 4 is a detail of one of the severed tampon structures.

Figure 5 is a detail illustrating the stop member.

Referring to the figures of the drawing and particularly Figure 1 thereof, a series of tampons are indicated at In, H, H, and I3, respectively. The tampons l0 and II are connected initially by a cord member 14 and the tampons I2 and [3 by the cord member IS. The tampon It as shown is provided with a severed cord withdrawal member i6 and the tampon 13 as shown is provided with a fragmentary portion of cord II. The string of tampons, and particularly the tampons l I and I2, is initially supported as by a table indicated diagrammatically at I8, and are moved over the surface of the table l8 by the rolls l9 and 20 which are suitably rotated as indicated by the arrows in such manner as to advance the tampon II positioned therebetween.

Adjacent the rolls I9 and 20 is a stop member 2| provided with a notch 22 as best shown in Figure 5. The tampon I I in Figure 1 is shown as abutting the stop member and the cord I extends through the apex of the notch 22. This serves to tension the cord I5 which is attached at this time to the tampon I2 and a portion of the cord at 23 is brought into contact with the hot severing member 24. provided with the heating coil 25. The cords I4, I5, etc. are all of a suitable fusible plastic substance and the contact thereof with the severing member 24 serves to sever the cord I5 so that it falls onto the rotating belt 25 as indicated in dotted lines. The belt 25 moves as indicated by th arrows and serves to feed the severed cord I5 towards the rolls 2t and 21. When the severed cord I5 is pickedup by the rolls 26 and 21, the tampon II has by this.

time left the rolls I9 and 20 and is carried into the position shown in Figure 2* beneath the stop 2| and the notch 22. Further movement, however, of the tampon I I will bring the tampon into the position inFigure 3. with the cord I4 attached to the tampon I0 entering the notch 22, Still further advance will bring the tampon I0 into the position of. the tampon. I I, shown in Figural, and the. cord I4 will then be severed.

It will be noted that in Figures 2 and 3 the point of the severing member 24 is in. contact with the Co ton of the. tampon. II. This contact does no harm, since preferably the cords connecting the ampon are made from a suitable relatively low fusing point plastic thread. Such a materialhas a tusing point far below the combustion temperature or char temperature of the. cotton or other equivalent material such as disintegrated. cellulose from which the body of the tampon is made. Suitable, fusible materials for this purpose are, for example, synthetic linear polyamides, i. e. nylon, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrates, ethyl cellulose, polyvinylchloride, polyvinyl acetate, copolymerspfpolyvinyl chloride and poly.- vinyl acetate, vinylid ene. chloride and copolymers thereof with polyvinyl chloride or polyvinylacetateandthe like, and polyethylene. All. ofthese materials have a fusing point. and softening point belowthe char temperature of; cellulose or cotton. Although all of these materials are in general less pervious to moisture and have a lesser capilgl ary. action than. ordinary cotton which is conventionally used, it is desired to point out that QffthfiSB materials certain of them are particularly non-hydroscopic and possessa greater resistance to the. penetration of moisture or body. fluids. These are, for example, the polyethylene, the vinylidene chloride and copolymers thereof, and the synthetic linear polyamides.

In Figured there i shown a portion of a tampon indicated at 28 including a withdrawal cord 29 which is formed of a plurality of heatfusible filaments which have been severed'in accordance with the present invention. As shown, these cords are fused together as atSil sothatth ey are also. prevented from unravelling. This. is especially desirable where the withdrawal stringv 29 is formedfrom a plurality of filaments as by a sewing orbraiding operation. As shown in thedrawing. the. tampon is of the type. produced in accordancewith the process of theaforementioned Winter and Rosenthal patent, #2401284. It has been .ie n'd es c al y si e in a tamp n o t e har cte ich is co po o pl ral y of braided string portions which serve to retain the cotton to provide some means to prevent the unravelling of the withdrawal cord.

Although the present process has been illustrated in the figures of the drawin as showing the tampon structure I I in contact with the severing member 24 durin a certain portion of its movement, it is within the broader scope of the present invention to space the severing member 24 so that it does not touch the body of the cotton II. However, even in this instance, it

is preferred tov utilize a heating temperature that is capable of severing the cord l4 and/or fusing the same but is incapable or igniting or charring cotton or disintegrated cellulose since in the process of manufacture, small fragments of cotton adhere to. the cords between the tampon structures proper. If the severing member 24, therefore, was heated to a high temperature, ignition ofthese stray cotton fibers would take p ace and result in. a serious fire hazard.

It is also desired to point out that by providing a structure of the character described the precise point at which the tampon comes into contact with the severing member 24 is far less critical, since the contact of the knife with the cott w l n t result in any. rematu e sev ranoe inasmuch as the knife. is. only capable of severin the plastic cord between the cotton wads or bunches.

It ll e o iou o. t s k ledin he. a t that various changes ma be. made without departing, from the spirit of the invention and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown in. the drawings and described in the specification. but only as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1 A process for. severing of, connected tampons ofan absorbent .cellulosic nature connected. by acord structure of. a fusible plastic comprising passing a connected series of. said tampons in rox mity t beated. e er ng member, p r o ial-iv empt n sai or t ur t e; the ame ai fi m e ageme w t a everin membe a a po nt imm d e d ac sa tam on 341: bea ng id; 12 1 5 m mb r to te e ature fse e t a high to e er said co u imminen t0 f e ttalnpoe 2- roc ss or the se r ngn ectsd amr opof a 04 11 1 9 19 ew-reco nect d y 91 st u tu e of a fusibl pla q s n Ha si ea nn cted se esof sa d. am o s n p amit to a heate ever n ember nd r tard.- ne the o em nt. m orari o one o said tam ons. to enign the: cordqnn qt sa d tam o andv a metes tam p 9 firmly, 2 sa e sa d heated: se r n m mben 3-. A. pr es er severin d: sin a cord struct re comnes d a. lu lit o aments o a usib plast e c mp isin pa s n ai e ie tructmze n pr xim ty: tQ eat s verin 36mb??? per odically llfimi 554d 7i '4 in he ame 1 9. firm; en emen i aid severing member, heati said Se lermg ember W em eratur ufii en t s ve Said cord structure and. simultaneously fusethe filaments mpo n hesa e oe ee 4 A process for the. severingof, a connected fi i f QQ' 3 902 5.. 1 a d 'iflmp w being connected with, each other tampon by a raidedc rd stli li ture comp sed of a plu al y 9 fus ble filament hai na nden o m..- nave 141 11 Q FKI B w ic qm i s Pfl$illg said 9 d. structute and, tampons; e eximitzvto a heated severing member, periodically tensioning said cord structure to brin a portion of said cord. structure immediately adjacent a tampon into engagement with said heated severing member and heating said severing member to a temperature sufiicient to sever said cord structure and simultaneously fuse the filaments of said braided cord structure together to prevent unraveling thereof upon severance.

HARRY c. A. BEHR,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 6 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Voss Apr. 6, 1937 Ross Sept. 7, 1937 Schwartzman Feb. 18, 1941 Dodge Aug. 31, 1943 Bailey Sept, 28, 1943 Manning Dec. 14, 1943 Winter et a1 May 28, 1946 Dodge Mar. 23, 1948 

